Why I Consider Myself A Nerd, Not A Gamer

Hello Everyone! If you are here to see a blog about the Xbox One, prepare to be disappointed.

First off, let me say what I think a being a nerd means. Here, let me let (slightly edited) Wikipedia quote tell you. "A nerd (adjective: nerdy) is a person, typically described as being overly intellectual, obsessive, or socially impaired. They may spend inordinate amounts of time on unpopular, obscure, or non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical or relating to topics of fiction or fantasy, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Additionally, many nerds are described as being shy, quirky, and unattractive,and may have difficulty participating in, or even following, sports. "Nerd" used to be a derogatory, stereotypical term, but as with other pejoratives, it has been reclaimed and redefined by some as a term of pride and group identity."

One might say that I am a proud nerd. In fact, one does say it, and that one is me. Why? Why don't I just say that I am a gamer? Because I personally think that gamers are a (large) subculture of nerds. And, because it is not the only part of me that is nerdy. I am most of the way nerdy. And, I don't like the negative stereotypes associated with nerds. When people think of a nerd, a lot of the time they think of a socially inept really over or underweight kid. And a lot of the times that kid is a really pasty white kid who wears glasses.

I do not agree with the stereotype. I think that being a nerd is like being an athlete. You prefer certain activities over others. Athletes prefer sports. Nerds prefer academics, technical, or gaming activities. I think that being a nerd is not degrading, it is a mindset. It is a style of life!

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I think that being a nerd is not degrading, it is a mindset. It is a style of life!

Society should stop judging people to be in certain groups depending on how they look. I consider myself a nerd. I am not very over or under weight. I do not wear glasses. I enjoy playing sports!!! (Mostly Ultimate Frisbee, and baseball, I don't like football very much). A lot of people when they ask me what my interests are usually say "What sports do you play?" (Because I am like a fair amount above 6' and am built like a tank). My usual answer "I don't actually play any sports like on a team or anything, but I like Ultimate Frisbee." Instead of asking me what I like doing, they ask me what sports I play. They miss out on a huge portion of me. If they ask me that, I will feel that they are only interested in that. They wouldn't care that I read a large amount, that I like playing videogames a lot, or that I like spending a lot of time on the computer. I have actually told some of these people that I consider myself a nerd, and some of their reply have been like "HA! No you are not!" If I am not, then there went many, many, MANY hours of my life. I used to read books 2 or 3 hours each weekday when I was a child (like 7-9). And all the hours playing on my Wii and NDS Lite. And on my brother's Xbox. And the many hours I spend on the computer (about 40 hours a week nowadays). I am a nerd, but I am in the academic (I love school, it is so fun to learn the stuff, the tests are boring though sometimes), book nerd, computer geek (only slightly, I know the workings of the internet and a lot of tricks in Windows 7, but I can't code or anything), and a gamer. They are all essential parts of my overall nerdiness.

So, what do you guys think? If you wanted to, what titles or stereotypes do you think you fit into/have attached to you?